[Application of dural puncture epidural technique for labor analgesia].

To investigate the effects of dural puncture epidural technique for labor analgesia on mothers and neonates. From January to June 2019, one hundred healthy and nulliparous women, scheduled for elective labor analgesia in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, met inclusion criteriaand were recruitedin this prospective study. The inclusion criteria are as follows: American Society of Anesthesiologists physical statusⅠorⅡ, New York Heart Association gradeⅠorⅡ,150-175 cm in height,50-90 kg in weight and 37-45 weeks of gestation. They were randomly divided into epidural analgesia group(group P, 50)and dural puncture epidural group(group D, 50) by using random number table. Parturients in group D received epidural catheterization immediate after successful epidural puncture, while parturients in group P received a single dural puncture into subarachnoid space with a 27 gauge needle (successful puncture: outflow of cerebrospinal fluid) before epidural catheterization. Epidural labor analgesia was performed with epidural infusion of 0.1% ropivacaine plus 0.25 μg/ml sufentanil in both groups. The VAS scores were evaluated at the following time points: before epidural infusion, each uterine contraction within 30 min after infusion, 30 min, 60 min and 90 min after infusion and withdrawal of infusion. Labor process, mode of delivery, cases of increased oxytocin using, effective PCA pressings, sufentanil and ropivacaine dosages, complications of analgesia, neonatal status were recorded, as well. There were no significant differences in labor duration, mode of delivery, analgesia complications (nausea and vomiting, itching, headache after delivery and Bromage score for motor block), deceleration of fetal heart rate and neonatal Apgar score between the two groups (0.05). The number of effective PCA pressings, sufentanil dosage, ropivacaine dosage and cases of increased using of oxytocin were significantly more in group P(8.663,7.024,6.509,χ(2)=4.159,all 0.05), with (8.6±2.5) times, (29±4) μg,(105±15) mg,28% in group P, compared with (4.6±2.1) times,(23±4) μg,(88±12) mg,10% in group D, respectively. The first four VAS scores of uterine contraction after analgesia in group P(VAS=7.9±1.1,6.8± 0.9, 5.6±0.8, 4.5±0.8)were significantly higher than those in group D (VAS=6.8±0.7,4.7±0.8,3.5±0.8,2.9±0.7,5.966,12.332,13.125,10.643,all 0.05). The VAS scores at 90 min after analgesia and withdrawal of analgesia (VAS=2.7±0.6, 2.9±0.7) in group P were significantly higher than those in group D (VAS=2.4±0.6, 2.5±0.6, 2.500, 3.068, all 0.05). Compared with traditional epidural technique, dural puncture epidural technique can provide a rapid and effective analgesia with less analgesics, but without increasing adverse effects on mother and infant.